"Weakening the churches will leave individuals subject to the direct control of the state. Weakening the churches erodes freedom."For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:
-- Peter Leithart, President of the Theopolis Institute
South Carolina Seminary: Homosexuality Sinful — Media Outraged
Massachusetts Christian College Ostracized by City & Media for Opposing Gay Agenda
Gays and Media Attack Nebraska Christian College for Being Moral
Liberal Media Pounce on Evangelical Liberty University
Religious Liberty in Homosexualists' Crosshairs
ACLU Sues Christians for Refusing 'Gay Marriage'
Kansas Gov. Protects Religious Liberty, Homosexualists Attack
Homosexualists Admit Goal to End Religious Liberty
Michigan Christian Business Trashed by Homosexualists
Homosexuals Force Closure of Iowa Christian Wedding Chapel
Pastors Face Fines, Jail for Refusing 'Gay Wedding'
U.S. Catholic Bishops vs. U.S. Supreme Court Gay Agenda
-- From "3 Christian schools shift their policies on homosexuality" compiled by Massarah Mikati, Deseret News 7/12/15
"In employment policy and practice, Hope College [in Holland, Michigan] has always followed the state's legal definition of marriage," school president, John Knapp, wrote in a statement. "Spouses are eligible for benefits, so long as their marriage is legally recognized the state of Michigan."
"Notre Dame is a Catholic university and endorses a Catholic view of marriage. However, it will follow the relevant civil law and begin to implement this change immediately," the university emailed to employees.
And on Tuesday, Baylor University — the world's largest Baptist university — dropped a ban on "homosexual acts" in its sexual conduct policy, according to the Houston Chronicle.
While before, Baylor's policy said homosexual acts were a misuse of "God's gift," it now says the university "will be guided by the biblical understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Hope College to extend spousal benefits to gay couples after high court ruling" by Amy Biolchini, Holland Michigan Sentinel 7/5/15
Hope provides benefits to spouses legally recognized by the state of Michigan, said Jennifer Fellinger, vice president for public affairs and marketing at Hope.
Prior to June 26, that meant if a Hope employee was married to someone of the same sex in another state, the couple would not receive the benefits that a heterosexual married couple would at Hope.
As a result of Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, a same-sex spouse of a Hope employee is now eligible for spousal benefits.
Hope is a private, Christian college affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. The RCA has historically stuck to a Biblical definition of marriage — between one man and one woman.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Two Christian Colleges Extend Employment Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses" by Samuel Smith, Christian Post Reporter 7/12/15
On Monday, Hope College President John Knapp sent an email to the Hope community explaining that while Hope will continue to offer benefits to spouses of employees recognized by the state, the Supreme Court's ruling has effectively changed the definition of marriages recognized by the state of Michigan to include same-sex couples.
Knapp explained that after consulting with members of the Hope community and other Christian educators, it was determined that it's in the best interest of the school to keep the same employment policy and extend benefits same-sex spouses recognized in Michigan.
Knapp also explains that although the school will extend benefits to same-sex spouses, that does not mean the school will open use of the Dimnent Chapel for same-sex wedding ceremonies.
Although employees' same-sex spouses will now receive benefits from Hope college, Hope's statement on sexuality still states: "This biblical witness calls us to a life of chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Why Baylor University’s sexual conduct policy no longer calls out ‘homosexual acts’" by Abby Ohlheiser, Washington Post 7/8/15
Baylor University, one of the nation’s most prominent Christian colleges, has dropped a phrase from its student policy on sexual misconduct that specifically forbade “homosexual acts.” Although the revised code does not appear to alter the school’s policy barring same-sex relationships, the change comes as many Christian colleges grapple with how to define their standards for student conduct.
In a document outlining how the school will apply the new policy, Baylor says that it will “be interpreted by the Baptist University in a manner consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message of 1963,” a reference to a doctrinal document from the Southern Baptist Convention. That document, among other things, defines marriage as “the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.”
Lori Fogleman, Baylor’s assistant vice president for media communications, said in an e-mail to The Washington Post on Monday that the changes “were made because we didn’t believe the language reflected Baylor’s caring community.” The new policy went into effect in May of this year.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "The Supreme Court Ruling and Christian Colleges" by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed 6/29/15
In a dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the [majority, ruling] decision's language did not go far enough. "Hard questions arise when people of faith exercise religion in ways that may be seen to conflict with the new right to same-sex marriage -- when, for example, a religious college provides married student housing only to opposite-sex married couples," Roberts wrote.
[Christian evangelical colleges], some legal experts believe, may now face challenges to their tax-exempt status or other government benefits. . . .
Seventy leaders of Christian colleges and schools wrote to congressional leaders this month -- prior to the Supreme Court's ruling -- asking Congress to enact a law to protect religious colleges and schools that want to keep their current policies on gay people. . . .
Michael A. Olivas, director of the Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance at the University of Houston and author of The Law and Higher Education, said that the Supreme Court ruling should prompt Christian colleges to rethink their policies. "In an area of social change that is as well defined as this issue is, why would any college want to violate the law by banning relationships that are not only legal, but if they led to marriage would be legal and recognizable in every jurisdiction in the country?" he asked
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Is tax status the next front in the same-sex marriage battle?" by Mariana Barillas, Michigan Campus Correspondent, Campus Reform 7/14/15
As reported by Catholic Education Daily, Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick Reilly told EWTN News Nightly he expected the religious freedom of educators will be attacked, but said no one can take the right of Catholics to teach their faith to the next generation.
“I think that we’re going to suffer a lot, and I don’t mean to suggest that we won’t,” Reilly said. “We may not have schools and colleges in the form that we have them now.”
Ave Maria Law Dean Emeritus Eugene Milhizer told Catholic Education Daily that “religious freedom is endangered,” arguing “the recasting of the right of ‘freedom of religion’ to a notion of ‘freedom of worship’” as “an effort to expel religious influence from the public square.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah has introduced the First Amendment Defense Act, which he said in an NPR interview is designed to protect the freedom of religious colleges and universities that recognize marriage as "an institution between a man and a woman."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "What does the Supreme Court gay marriage ruling mean for Christian colleges?" by Mark Woods, Christian Today Contributing Editor 7/13/15
A campaign by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State launched after the Supreme Court decision seeks to thwart colleges and other religious institutions seeking exemption from the implications of the ruling. Its "Protect thy Neighbor" project is aimed among other things at preventing policies that would "allow government-funded grantees and contractors to use religion as a reason to hire, fire, and withhold services in taxpayer-funded programs".
According to the Christian Post, its executive director Rev Barry Lynn said: "We will work to put a stop to reckless definitions of 'religious freedom' that are really just excuses to infringe on the rights of others."
Lynn said: "Even now, I would not want to be a person at a fundamentalist academy who is trying to defend the practice, that is taking a reasonable amount of government funds and refusing to allow a same-sex married couple to live in the married student housing. I think even now, that would be on the edge of the indefensible."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian Colleges' Right to Deny Married Housing for Gay Couples Is 'on the Edge of the Indefensible,' Barry Lynn Asserts" by Samuel Smith, Christian Post Reporter 7/7/15
Prior to the Supreme Court's ruling, Americans United worked to stop Religious Freedom Restoration Acts in Indiana, Arkansas and other states that could, but not necessarily would, provide businesses and individuals with greater religious protections from being forced to serve and participate in same-sex weddings.
In response to a question from The Christian Post, Lynn, who is an ordained minister for the Church of Christ, contended that Christian colleges refusing to provide married housing to married same-sex couples is akin to schools not allowing interracial married couples to occupy married housing.
In 1983, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Bob Jones University could legally have its tax-exempt status revoked for engaging in the discriminatory practice of not allowing mixed-race dating.
. . . Maggie Garrett, legislative director for Americans United, said that the organization will work to oppose the First Amendment Defense Act [recently introduced in Congress by Senator Mike Lee of Utah].
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read The Gay 'Untied' States of America
And read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty
